Bag-filling device with vibratable bag support



Deg. 23, 1952 A. ACKERMAN 2,622,780

BAG FILLING DEVICE WITH VIBRATABLE BAG SUPPORT Filed Dec. 20, 1945 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR. ART/40K AC/(ER/M/V ATTQRA/EXJ' Dec. 23, 1952 Filed Dec. 20, 1945 A. ACKERMAN 2,622,780

BAG FILLING DEVICE WITH VIBRATABLE BAG SUPPORT 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 '1llllll1 HHHIIIIIIH IIIIIIIII :1

llll k INVEN TOR.

ARTHUR ACKfK IA/V jv ATTORNEY! Patented Dec. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Arthur Ackerman, New Rochelle, N. Y.

Application December 20, 1945, Serial No. 636,179

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to devices for filling bags, and it relates particularly to devices for filling bags with finely divided material such as, for example, crushed limestone or oyster shells, grain, animal and poultry feeds, cement and the like.

One of the greatest difiiculties encountered in the filling of bags, such as, for example, paper or burlap bags, with finely divided materials is to prevent voids from forming in the material. In the past, it has been necessary to use bags that are somewhat oversize so that all of a predetermined weight or volume of material can be introduced into the bag without overflowing. This causes considerable waste in the material from which the bags are made and, moreover, the bags after being transported and handled are frequently shaken up so that the material becomes more compact, with the result that the bag then appears to be incompletely filled. Moreover, when paper bags are used, the danger of puncturing or tearing the bags is greatly increased if the bags are not filled substantially completely, for the reason that a partially filled bag bends easily and breaks or tears at the bending lines.

i An object of the present invention is to provide a bag-filling device that will fill a bag completely by the elimination of all voids of large size there- Another object of the invention is to provide a bag-filling device that is particularly adapted for use with automatic weighing machines whereby the bags in every instance can be filled with a predetermined weight of material without loss due to overflow of the material.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a typical form of device embodying the present invention.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying draw ings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation and partly in vertical section of a typical form of device embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of a shaking device for packing the material in the bag; and

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the shaking device.

. As illustrated in Figure 1, a typical bag-filling installation may include a hopper member Ill, preferably supported in the floor F of a building, for receiving material from an automatic weighing machine H. The automatic weighing machine .ll may be of any conventional type and is 2 not illustrated in detail herein, inasmuch as it does not form a part of the present invention.

Beneath the hopper i0 is positioned a tubular chute 12 having an upper hopper-like end l3 for receiving the material from the hopper Ill. The chute I2 is supported movably upon a frame member or brace i l in the building with capacity for up and down movement. One way in which the chute l2 may be supported is illustrated in Figure 1. This supporting mechanism may include a bracket l5 such as an angle or channel iron fixed to the underside of the brace 14. The upper end of the chute is connected to the bracket [5 by means of a pivotally supported arm IS. The lower end of the chute is pivotally connected to a lever I! which is pivotally connected to the bracket [5 by means of a bolt or pivot pin l8. The lever I7 is provided with an adjustable counterweight IQ of sufficient weight to lift the chute upwardly into position beneath the hopper It), but of insufficient weight to prevent downward movement of the chute l2 when it receives a charge of material from the hopper Hi.

In order to cushion the upward movement of the chute l2 when it is empty, an L-shaped bracket 23 may be supported on the bracket l5 and is provided with a shock absorber 2| consisting of a bolt 22 passing loosely through an aperture in the bracket and having a spring 23 interposed between the head of the bolt and the lower arm of the bracket 20. The lever I! may be provided with a transversely extending plate 24 having leather, rubber, or other shock-absorbing material thereon for engagement with the head of the bolt.

The lower or spout end of the chute I2 is adapted to enter an opening in a bag B either of the fabric or paper type. Preferably, paper bags of the valve type are used for finely divided materials, although burlap or other fabric bags which are partially sewn across the top may be filled with equal facility.

The bag B is retained on the end of the chute 12 during a filling operation by means of a releasable clamp 25. The clamp includes a lever 26 pivotally mounted on the top of the chute and having a semi-circular clamping band 21 on its lower end. The clamping band may be forced into engagement with the bag B by means of a cam 28 having an operating lever 29 thereon. The cam 28 is rotatably supported between the lugs 39 on opposite sides of the lever 26. When the mouth of the bag B is passed over the end of the chute l2 and the lever 29 is pulled downwardly, the clamping band 21 will retain the bag firmly on the end of the chute I2.

The material being introduced into the bag B may be packed therein by the vibrator or shaker disclosed in Figure 1 and in greater detail in Figures 2 and 3. The shaker includes a platform 3! which is hingedly or pivotally supported at one end,by means of a shaft 32 onthe up rights 33 secured to a suitable base orto the floor of the building. The platform 3| is provided with a bag support 34 which, as illustrated,

may consist of a concave or convex bottom-engaging plate 35 and a similarly shaped angularlyrelated plate 36 for engaging a side of the bag;

Preferably the plates 35 and 36 are arrangedata right angle to each other and both are inclined at an acute angle to the platform .3l..by means of the spacer blocks 31.

The platform and the bag support may be rocked about the shaft 32-by means of a toothed cam member 38-which is fixedto a shaft 39 mountedin suitable bearings 40-and-4L- Preferably' these bearings are of the anti-friction and dustproof type in order to increasethe-eificiency andreduce the amount-0f power required-foroperating the-shakingdevice. As best shown in Figure -2, the cam-38 is provided with two spirallyarranged cam portions 38a and 38b and steps 38c;and-38d-for dropping the platform 3| abruptly'- -after it has been-rocked upwardly or.

counter-clockwise about theshaft 32. The plat form 3l'may be provided with a cam follower tooth or-projection for engaging the periphery ofthe cam.v

Preferablythe cam 38-:is rotated at relatively low speed by means of reduction gearing sothat.

the bag is subjected to about.80.to lOOimpacts per mi-nute during thefilling operation.

The-above described device operates as follows:

When the chute I2. is empty andhasbeenlifted toits uppermostposition by means ofthe counterweight l9, a bag B is slipped on the; end of the chute and is clamped in position bymeans of the clamping mechanism 25. Thereafter, the automettle-weighing machine discharges .into the hopper- IO and thence into the hopper l3 and thechute [2. The weight of themateriali will cause the chute l2 andthe bag- B thereonto drop,- bringing the; bag, into contact, with, the bag support 34 which is being vibrated con;

tinuously. Thus, as soon ,as, thematerial begins to enter the bag, it will be subjected to vibration, thereby tending topack it into the bottom ,of the has. s. he at ia n inu s flow mm the bag, more and more of the weight of ,the

material is supportedby the bag support 34 and lessand less by the chute [2, As, a result-the chute l2 tends to move upwardly, thereby stretchins. theb d permitting it'to be filledcom;

pletely .to the top. When all of the material valve of thebag, inasmuch as, the surface level of the. material is substantially, horizontal while the bag is inclined tothe vertical; at an angle corresponding to the angle of the side-engaging plate. Therefore, as the bag is shaken, the ma terial is thrown back and forth more or less parallel to the valve opening in the bag B, and not through the valve opening. This action permits the bags to be filled almost to their tops.

In practical operation of the device, it has been found that the material can be packed uniformly into the bags and with substantially the same volumedisplacement per. unit ofweight, As a result, the size of, the bag may be adjusted closely to the volume or weight of the material in the bag and corresponding savings in material are attained.

The. vibrating mechanism can be rendered very quiet-in operation by placing blocks of rubber 45 on the uprights 46. in a position to engage the forward edge of the platform 3| when it is dropped by the.cam.33.w The rubber blocks 45 should be so locatedthat the cam follower 42 does not drop into direct contact with the cam surface directly behind the cam steps 38c and 38d to reduce the noise; to a minimum.

While the above described embodiment of the invention is preferred, it will be understood'that the chutemay bemodifiedin design and in themechanism for supporting-it duringits upward and downward-movements. Also,- the clamp-for retaining the-bag; on the spout is susceptible to modification and theshape of the bag-support 34 can also be modified toaccommodate bags of different shapes and sizes without departing from the invention.- Therefore, the form-of the in vention described above should be consideredas illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the,

following claims I claim;

1. A bag-filling device comprising an elongated means onlthe lowerend of. said chute for. support:

ing a valvedbagin a position to receivematerial from said chute,.a vibratable support for. said bag below said chute, and counterbala cing meansfor said-chute normally urging it upwardly away from said bag support but permitting down- W rd mov m nt .of idchute wh a ai mat ria is 1introduccs nt it whe eby he. i trqduqfii Q aid mat rial int sa dchutg mov s he as i t nsesem nth saids nq t. and d h e fsaid materialfromsaid chute into saidbag causes upward movementof saidchute to extend said ag. 1

2." ,In .a bag filling device,. the subcombination I of. a frame, a platformhingedly connected atone end to said frame and having an oppositefree enda bagsupporting member fixed to said platform and having portions engageable with the bottom and side of a bag, a rotary earn member beneath said platform having at leastonesubstantiallyv spiral. surface portion terminating in a substantially radialedge portion extending inwardly from the outer end of said spiral portion to form a step, means onsaid platform in spaced relation to said one end engageable with said rotary cam member to lift said platform atsaid spiral. portion and drop said, platform at said p uncaro ation o dwm mi m r. ea for rotating. said cam member, and means adja cent tosaid opposite end of said: platform to engage and stop said platform abruptly as it drops.

3. In a bagflll-ing device, the-subcombination of a platform hingedly supported at one end for rocking movement and having an opposite free end, a bag supporting member fixed to said platform and having right angularly related, concave portions engageable with the bottom and a side of a bag, said portions being inclined at acute angles to said platform, a rotary cam member beneath said platform having at least one substantially spiral surface portion terminating in a substantial radial edge portion extending inwardly from the outer end of said spiral portion to form a step, cam following means on said platform in spaced relation to said one end engageable with said rotary cam member to lift said platform at said spiral portion and to drop said platform at said step upon rotation of said cam member, means for rotating said cam member, and means adjacent to said opposite end of said platform to engage and stop said platform abruptly as it drops.

4. In a bag filling device, the subcombination of a platform pivotally supported at one end and having an opposite free end, an L-shaped memher on said platform for engaging the bottom and a side of a bag, a rotary cam member below said platform, said cam member having at least one spiral surface portion terminating in a substantially radial edge extending inwardly from the outer end of said spiral surface portion to form a step, a cam follower on said platform engaging said cam member to rock said platform upwardly as said follower engages the spiral surface portion and drop said platform freely at said step in response to rotation of said cam, and stop means engageable with said platform adjacent to its free end for stopping abruptly the dropping movement of the platform before the follower engages said cam member.

ARTHUR ACKERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

